Legend of the Shinobi
by psychoman222
Summary: SotOR-verse. "You're insane!" "Sanity is irrelevant, for I am riding a Dragon!" Join our favorite ninja as he braves war, keeping his cover story straight, Dragons, bromance, and convoluted genealogy. Also, there is someone trying to take over the world, but what's so special about that?
1. Chapter 1

_**Legend Of The Shinobi**_

* * *

"Chance of War more likely." I read off the newspaper. Considering the fact I smell smoke from here, I suppose that's an accurate, if somewhat out of date, statement. How do I know It's not just a brush fire? People smoke smells _very_ different than plant smoke. One of many things I really wish I didn't know.

The fact that I hear horses(and not just a couple) nearby, indicating the presence of cavalry, also supports that theory.

Although, I suppose I can't really blame the newspaper. The fastest communication they have is "guy on horseback", so I imagine that getting a story ready to print is a several week process.

"Hey! You there!"

I sigh.

"Yes?" I say, then turn to look at the speaker.

It's a Sandoran Cavalryman, (Sandora being one of the two factions vying for control of Serdio.) and he brought a friend.

"Are you a mercenary of Basil?"

Basil is the other faction. I begin to think up a reason for my being in the middle of the woods, but I apparently take too long, and he points a spear at my throat.

"ANSWER!"

I don't like having sharp objects being pointed at my throat. I draw my longsword and parry the spearpoint away before he can so much as twitch.

I prepare for a fight. Normally, Cavalry are at an advantage against people on foot, due to them being not only being faster, but having more weight behind their blows.

However, in this situation, they can't get momentum due to the trees, and that extra bulk and reach actually works against them in these confines. So, I feel I have good odds.

Someone makes a very convincing counter-argument.

That someone being a massive creature crashing through the trees, obviously thinking I look delicious.

It looks like someone tried to breed an Allosaurus and a Praying Mantis, with a little elephant thrown in. For the tusks. Because the nature apparently took a look at the gigantic scythe-claws the size of a birch, the serrated teeth the size of my forearm, and said "Yup. Needs more ways to kill you."

Fuck you, Nature.

Naturally, being a man who celebrates the sanctity of all life(supposedly, being implied with the whole 'Sage' job description.), and the philosophy of "I'm not paid enough for this bullshit,"

I decide to not fight it, and run like hell instead.

It chases. and takes a swipe at me with one of the aforementioned scythe-claws, which cleaves through a hundred year old Oak tree like a toothpick. I'm SO glad that missed.

So it hocks a wad of spit at me. I dodge that as well, and look back long enough to see it dissolve a boulder.

So, Recap. Elephant tusks, two two-story tall sword-arms, a hundred teeth the size of a short sword, and now acid spit.

I reiterate. Fuck you, Nature.

"Oh, COME ON! Why are you even chasing _me_, anyway!? The horses have more meat on them!"

No response from the living 'Exhibit A' for atheists' 'There is No Kind and Loving God' theory. Not that I really expected any different.

All of a sudden, I am grabbed from behind, and whoever grabbed me took me behind a nearby rock formation, faster than the Abomination could track.

I instantly keep as quiet as possible, and take the moment to examine my savior.

Despite obviously being a person with some skill in combat, she had flawless porcelain skin, with silky black hair, and not to mention killer legs-

"_**Whoah, down boy!"**_ I mentally chastised myself.

The Thing, having lost track of me, took its frustration out on a nearby rock face causing a rockslide, before it wandered off.

"Impressive."

"Huh?"

"Not many can say they managed to survive a Dragon."

"I almost didn't. Thanks." It's true. If I never had Shinobi training, I would have been a goner. As it was, I couldn't use my full skill without blowing my cover. And this cover I spent a decade fleshing out, so that… wasn't my first option.

"Although, I thought Dragons had wings."

"It did. You were just too distracted by the claws and teeth to pay attention to them. You are very calm, for having just faced a beast of legend."

"Probably just hasn't sunk in yet." I lie.

"Although, I wonder why it was here. They could have easily destroyed the town, Seles, without a dragon."

Seles!? That's my alias' home! Damn, did I drop the ball. Although, to be fair, I only visited the place once.

"Seles!? Shit! I need to go help!"

"There won't be anything left by now."

"Maybe, but I need to try! Seles is MY Village!"

Damn, Even if I were in a video game or anime, this would have to set a new record. The opening cutscene hasn't even ended yet, and my town's already destroyed.

* * *

**AN:** Sorry about the wait. Real life/ procrastination rears it's head again. Not to worry, SotOR and SotA:G are on the way.

For those of you who like LOD and are viewing because of that, Read SotOR first.

For those of you who are reading due to SotOR, but have no freaking idea what Legend of The Dragoon is, I recommend checking out Alaan's awesome LP on lparchive.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Legend of the Shinobi**_

_**Chapter 2**_

Sure enough, when I arrive at Seles, it's a burned out husk. I see some motion from my vantage point, so I rush down the hill to provide assistance. I find a couple of Sandoran soldiers kicking an old man, so I draw my sword mid run, and convert my momentum into a leaping slash. I kick the second in the stomach, and follow up with an upward slash, cutting him from groin to head.

"Dart? Is that you Dart?" The old man asks.

I was about to say no, but then I remembered that that was my cover's name.

"Yeah, it's me. Are you okay?"

"No. I haven't got much time left. But there are more important things. Dart, they took Shana."

_That_ name I did remember, as I was the one to give it to her. She was an infant when I first met her, well hidden in a secret compartment in the burned out husk of a house in the town of Neet, which is my cover's birthplace. I carried her out of there, and traveled to the other side of the world, to Seles. I raised and protected her until my… duties as Hokage took me away.

In a lot of ways, she was like a daughter.

And she was kidnapped.

My teeth clenched in rage.

I turned on my heels, leaving the now dead man, in order to begin the hunt for her kidnappers.

When I encounter the Sandoran officer who was left behind to wrap up the attack, he begins to taunt me with the location of the prisoners. My rage drowns out most of his words, but the location rings clear. Hellena Prison. As I have all the information I want and need, I end his life with a single strike with my sword. His guards immediately began to flee, while I begin my trek to the infamous prison.

The prison was almost _too _easy to infiltrate. I could have done it even before graduating the Academy. The guards patrolled alone, allowing me to pick them off without the alarm being raised.

Only to find it was raised anyway due to an escaped prisoner, who just barreled into me.

Well, my luck couldn't have things go _smoothly_, now could it? It just plain hates me too much.

After I parry a couple of thrusts of the former prisoner's spear, I snarl at him.

"Save it for the enemy, idiot!"

"You're… not with them?"

"No. I'm here to rescue someone, and _you_ just made that about ten times harder."

"You're after the girl?"

I froze.

"How could you know that!?"

The escapee shrugged.

"A man of your skills wouldn't be here without a lot of incentive, and as I doubt you're here to rescue me, that leaves only one VIP in the prison- the girl."

"VIP? Unless she _really_ changed since I last saw her, she's as much as a strategic asset as a wet noodle is."

"Sandora apparently disagrees. Anyway, would my help in getting her back make up for the trouble my escape caused?"

"Don't you have better things to do? Like, you know, _escaping_?"

"Well, yes, but I wouldn't be doing my job as a knight if I let an innocent girl rot in a place like this."

I glare at him. I've heard those 'save the fair maiden, instant romance' stories far too many times to think that this guy _doesn't _have that in mind.

"If you even _think_ about seducing her, I _will_ stab you."

"Perish the thought. After all, I wouldn't _dream_ of depriving you of her affections."

"What are you insinuating? What, I can't want her out of this hellhole without wanting to bed her?"

"I could ask you the same question."

"I at least _know _her."

"I don't need to. I wouldn't wish this place on anyone, especially someone that, as a knight, I swore to protect."

"So we're agreed. No lecherous plots."

"None."

"Just a friend trying to protect a friend, and a guardian of the realm trying to protect an innocent."

"Sounds right."

"Perfectly platonic purgation of peril."

"Accurate and alliterative."

A moment passes, as we assess each other.

"Dart Feld." I say, extending a handshake.

"Lavitz Slambert, head of the First Knighthood of the Kingdom of Basil." He says, returning the handshake.

We attempt to stealthily bypass the guards, which is _incredibly_ difficult when one of you and is wearing full plate armor and has precisely _zero_ stealth training, to the point he thinks it's immoral. At least, If I recall the code of chivalry correctly. Thankfully, if Lavitz has any problem with our current plan, he is keeping it to himself, and he's smart enough to recognize the necessity of it without me having to tell him.

My fortune is uncharacteristically generous, given that it adds "Sandoran prison guards are complete idiots" to our chances of success, and as such, we actually pull it off.

Until we come across the bane of every adventurer's existence.

A locked door.

It is a sturdy wooden door, two layers of oak, held together with iron bands and studs that would blunt our weapons if we tried to chop it down. It is mounted to solid rock, so no luck there.

"We're going to have to look for the key. They probably have a spare in the guard room."

"You mean, the guard room that is not only in the heavily defended core of the fortress, but we will have to sneak by the guards we _just_ snuck by? And barely pulled it off? I'm thinking 'screw that!'"

"Well, its either that or we…" Lavitz tersely starts, and I assume he was going to say 'give up', but he stops himself as I withdraw a Burn Out from my satchel.

A Burn Out is essentially a Molotov Cocktail, imbued with Fire element chakra.

I throw it at the door, and it practically vaporized, save for the metal bindings, which fell to the floor, glowing red.

"...do that." Lavitz finishes.

"It's amazing what people will just _sell_ you. I didn't even need a permit or anything."

"Let's just get the girl. Somebody probably saw that." Lavitz said.

After about a minute of searching, we found the proper cell. While it was guarded, Lavitz and I took the guards down with no trouble.

Unfortunately, the door was, of course, locked.

We searched the fallen guards for the key, and found nothing.

"Don't tell me that we have to go look for the goddamn key." I snarled, glaring at the one obstacle between me and Shana.

"Well, I don't think a Burn Out would work on iron bars, not to mention it would risk hurting her."

"THIS! IS! BULLSHIT!" I roar, grabbing the metal of the door, and, with chakra-enhanced strength, tore it off its hinges.

"That works." Lavitz said, taking a couple of steps back, giving me a wary glance.

I step inside, and see Shana for the first time in half a decade.

I examine her for injuries, but find nothing more than a scrape or two, nothing to indicate they intentionally hurt her.

"Shana? I'm here to get you out of here."

"Dart!? Is that you?"

"You… haven't forgotten me?" I ask, surprised. She was young when I left, about thirteen.

"How could I?" she asked, drawing me into a hug.

"I hate to interrupt, but the guards are coming." Lavitz called from the doorway.

Even as I draw my sword and rush out, I feel nothing but relief that Shana's okay.


End file.
